


Dream Catcher

by Ezla



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Originally Posted on Tumblr
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-13
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2019-02-01 20:52:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12712746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ezla/pseuds/Ezla
Summary: He hoped that he wouldn't have to lose you, especially with all the regret consuming him. After all, you were his light, his hope, his salvation. (One-shot)





	Dream Catcher

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short one-shot I made when I had a thing for Bert. Enjoy!

Bertholdt shot up from his bed, a layer of sweat covering his skin causing his hair and clothing to stick to him. His eyes were wide and his breathing was ragged due to another nightmare. The screams and wails of several humans rang in his ears as their bodies were being eaten by the smaller titans flashed behind his eyelids. He placed his face in his hands as he inhaled, trying to calm his nerves. Only a few nights prior he had a nightmare that you, his beloved girlfriend, would leave him the moment you discovered his secret.

He was terrified to know what you would think of him. After all, you were a human and he was the Colossal Titan. He was the being that caused thousands of deaths. He was a monster, and he was worried that he would lose you. You were his light, his hope and his salvation. He was unsure what he would do if you were no longer by his side. Tears began to form at the corner of his eyes; vision getting blurry even though he was only staring at the blankets that covered his legs. Breathing became hard as he was trying to hold back his sobs in order not to wake Reiner and the other guys up.

He took another deep breath and decided to lay back down, trying to get as much sleep as he could, even with his nightmares haunting him.

\- - -

“Bert?” You called to him gently. He was sitting in his usual spot at the cafeteria, however he seemed more distant. You stared at his face, seeing the bags under his eyes were darker than usual. His eyebrows were furrowed and his eyes were extremely dark and cloudy. You had a feeling in your gut that something was bothering him. You cupped his face in your hands and turned his head so that he was looking directly at you. “Bert.” You tried again.

“(Y/n)?” He whispered. His emerald eyes began to brighten as you came into his view. You breathed a sigh of relief as he came back to you.

“Is everything alright? You seem so down lately.” You whispered quietly, not caring about the other people in the 104th Training Corps giving you both looks. Even though they knew the both of you were dating, it was extremely odd seeing either of you displaying affection towards one another in public.

A certain emotion flashed in his eyes before he hesitantly nodded, glancing away from you as he gently took your hands in his and pulled them away from his face. “I-I’m alright.” He whispers.

“You know you can tell me anything, right?” You said while looking at him, more concerned than before. You saw him take a deep breath, his hands squeezing yours gently in reassurance. You looked down at your hands, entwining them together with his.

“I’ll tell you soon… I promise.” You heard him whisper quietly. You felt a light pressure on your forehead as he kissed you, sealing his vow to tell you his secret.

\- - -

_‘Liar! Traitor!’_ Your mind kept yelling as you close your eyes, tears falling down your cheeks. Bertholdt had taken you to a secluded area underneath a tree, far away from the eyes and ears of your comrades. He finally explained everything to you, including his darkest secret.

As you opened your eyes, you could see him in his usual sitting position up against the tree. He was hugging his legs towards himself tightly, hiding his face into his knees. His large figure trembled since he was crying from fear. You took in a deep breath in order not to scream or yell. Both your mind and your heart were in tattered pieces; confusion, hurt, worries, and hopes. There were still many things Bertholdt hadn’t told you, yet you didn’t press, you didn’t ask why, because you saw it in his eyes. You saw his guilt, his regret, his pain and sadness. He was the one who caused the destruction of your peaceful life, but he was also the one who gave you motivation.

One part of you wanted to just leave him, abandon him, and kill him on the spot; however, the other part of you wanted to hold him, kiss him, and tell him it was okay. He knew very well that he had done so much wrong, but he had his reasons, even if he couldn’t tell you what they were.

While you were reflecting, you noticed that he peeked up to look at you; his eyes and the tip of his nose were red from crying. Instinctively, you reached out and wiped away his tears with your fingers.

“I-I’m sorry… (y/n)… I-I’m so sorry…” He croaked out while looking into your (e/c) eyes. You looked away, still feeling confused.

After another few moments in silence, you came to your conclusion. Bertholdt was obviously very affected by his actions and as composed as he seemed, he hid much of his emotion in order to appear normal. It tore him just as much as it tore you, and you knew he needed help, he needed support.

“Bert.” You softly whispered. “Is it really true I left you in those dreams?” You wanted confirmation in order to comfort the man who still had your heart, mind and soul.

“You left… vowing that you would never forgive me… and that every day I would suffer.” He repeated, fresh tears falling down his face as he recalled his nightmare. You cupped his face into your hands and softly kissed his chapped lips. Warmth sparked inside of you, strengthening your resolve. Even though he caused horrible things to happen in your past, you decided to focus on the present and the future. Maybe with the love you both shared, you would be able to change the cruel world.

He looked at you, too shocked to be able to respond properly. His emerald eyes widened before glistening with tears of joy. He leaned over and wrapped his arms around your smaller frame, holding onto you tightly, his head buried into your shoulder. You hugged him, wrapping your arms around his neck, your fingers combing his dark locks to soothe him.

“Please don’t let this be a dream.” You heard him say quietly. “Please… p-please don’t let this be a dream.”

“It’s not a dream Bert.” You whispered into his ear. He moved away to look at your face, brushing his fingers against your cheek before leaning in to kiss you. It was a gentle and chaste kiss, one filled with appreciation and love. As he broke the kiss, he leaned his head so that his forehead touched yours.

“I love you.” He said confidently, the look in his eyes proving to you that he did.

“I love you too.” You replied with a smile.

\- - -

That night, the two of you snuck out with your covers, carefully making sure that you were quiet so that Shadis wouldn’t find you both. Bertholdt put down his cover on the ground to make it a little more comfortable. He then proceeded to lie down on his cover waiting for you to recline next to him. You quickly did so, pulling your own cover over yourself and him. Wrapping his arms around you, he kissed your forehead, whispering sweet words into your ears until you fell asleep.

After watching you sleep, he began to drift off himself, and for the first time in a long time, he was able to sleep without any nightmares. You were his light, his hope, his salvation, and now his dream catcher.


End file.
